On the road
Interrail: how many gigabytes you need and what to prepare before leaving
A month, eight countries and the ticket inside your phone. What your tariff covers, where it stops covering and how much a rail route really uses.
Claudia Ferrán 7 min Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash An Interrail has one feature that sets it apart from almost any other trip: the ticket lives in your phone, and it has to be shown on every train. That makes the battery and the connection part of the luggage.
First: it depends where your line is from
If your line is from a European Union country, you travel on your own tariff across the Union and the European Economic Area, and an Interrail through France, Italy, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands needs nothing more. If your line is British, or from anywhere outside the Union, that same route is roaming from the very first country and a data plan pays for itself in a week.
For a line inside the Union, the countries on the route that fall outside are the usual ones: Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Andorra, Turkey and the western Balkans. Switzerland is the one that appears most in an Interrail, and it is precisely the one that is not included.
The border traps of that particular case are in roaming in Switzerland.
How many gigabytes a rail route uses
| Use | Per day |
|---|---|
| Tickets, reservations and timetables | 30 to 80 MB |
| Maps and city transport | 50 to 100 MB |
| Messaging and coordinating the group | 30 to 80 MB |
| Social media and photos | 300 to 800 MB |
| Entertainment on long legs | 500 MB to 2 GB |
The last row decides the total. Downloading series and music before each long leg, a month of Interrail stays between 10 and 20 GB; downloading nothing, it shoots up.
The battery, which here matters as much as the data
With the ticket in your phone, running out of battery on a night train is a real problem. Two habits that see you through the whole trip: the power bank always charged, and a screenshot of the ticket saved in the gallery in case the app will not open.
What to prepare before leaving
- Download the maps of the cities on the route, even if only the centre.
- Save the ticket and the reservations outside the app as well.
- Download entertainment for the long legs.
- Check whether your tariff has a data cap in roaming, which over a month away can genuinely be reached.
- If the route goes through Switzerland or the Balkans, decide in advance how you will handle those days.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an eSIM for an Interrail?
With a line from an EU country and a route inside the Union, no. It pays off if the route goes through Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the Balkans, if your tariff has few gigabytes, or if your line is from outside the Union, in which case the whole route is roaming.
How many gigabytes does a month of Interrail use?
Between 10 and 20 GB if you download entertainment before the long legs. Downloading nothing, considerably more.
What happens if my battery dies with the ticket inside?
That is the classic problem. Take a power bank and also keep a screenshot of the ticket in your gallery, in case the app will not open.
Is Switzerland included?
Not under the regulation, and it is the country that appears most on Interrail routes. Some operators include it of their own accord: that has to be checked.
Is there wi-fi on European trains?
On many high-speed trains yes, and it is patchy in tunnels and rural areas. Do not rely on it to show your ticket.
